Shoes with a carbon inlay in the sole are very popular right now. Nike presented its Vaporfly 4% two years ago and since then the shoe is regularly present on the podium of the big marathons.

The latest version of the world record shoe, the Next%, has just been released and brings a little brother: the Zoom Fly 3.

Sponsored Post: Nike provided me with the products for this review at my request. This had no influence on the content of my post. The article is written indipendently and reflects exclusively my personal experiences.

Nike Zoom Fly 3

First impressions

From the outside the Zoom Fly 3 is very similar to its big brother. The two models could almost be mistaken at first sight. Of course they share many basic characteristics, but they differ in detail.

The built-in carbon plate cannot be seen from the outside – but the huge cushioning can. You stand on no less than 32 millimeters “React Foam” – with the Vaporfly it is the somewhat higher quality ZoomX material.

The outsole is relatively complete for such a fast shoe: under the forefoot there is a continuous sole, while under the heel there are only two strips of material accompanying the foot.

The distinctive shape of the heel has become something of a trademark at Nike. Looks very streamlined and made for heel walkers ;) On the shaft you can apparently even make your marathon time visible.

The Vaporweave named upper is extremely thin and almost transparent. Underneath is a sock liner, i.e. a sock-like inner shoe that is supposed to provide comfort.

The tongue is also just thick enough to reduce the pressure of the lacing on the instep.

Running Experience

It feels a little like changing from your Golf to a Formula 1 car. It starts with the thickness and softness of the sole: you walk like on gummy bear platform shoes. Especially the heel area is already very unusually soft.

However, the image changes immediately when running. The gummi bears turn into little trampolines that give you extra momentum with every step – provided you have fastened your seatbelt properly. The lacing is really critical, because the foot has to sit firmly on the carbon platform for it to show its advantages. If the lacing is just a little too loose, you will quickly notice that the heel in the shoe wants to lift slightly and that there is no optimal power transmission.

With me the degree between “sufficiently firm” and “unpleasantly firm” was however very small. If I had the right hold, the shoe was comfortable to wear for no longer than an hour. Looser lacing made it more comfortable to wear, but only a part of the “push” was left.

Regardless of this, I was significantly faster than planned and felt. And that of course especially at a slightly higher speed.

Conclusion

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